TDEE Help

Carolyn_79
Carolyn_79 Posts: 935 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just have a quick question regarding TDEE. I'm using the calculator on Fitness Frog to give me an idea of my TDEE and I'm a little stumped regarding my activity level. My concern is although I do exercise 4-5 days a week for 45 minutes-60 minutes (doing either P90X or jogging) and walk my two German Shepherds daily for an hour, I'm hesitant to put my activity level as moderately active (exercises 3-5 days a week) because I have a desk job and I'm sitting the rest of the time. I think of moderately active as someone who is on their feet most of the day moving and exercises in addition to that.

Just wondering if moderately active seems accurate for my activity level? Thanks for any help!

Replies

  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    Maybe set you lifestyle to "sedentary" but just make sure you eat back the exercise calories that you earn.
  • spoons81
    spoons81 Posts: 51 Member
    If you set it to moderately active then you don't eat back your exercise calories because they're already factored in. If you set it to sedentary, then you should track your carlories burned with a HRM and eat those calories that you burn. Otherwise you'll create an unhealthy deficit.
  • TheChangingMan
    TheChangingMan Posts: 73 Member
    I think that you *are* moderately active. You still need to eat, evn if you are losing weight.

    Why not set yourself as moderately active and then monitor / adjust over the next few weeks.
  • Mios3
    Mios3 Posts: 530 Member
    Bump
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    I just have a quick question regarding TDEE. I'm using the calculator on Fitness Frog to give me an idea of my TDEE and I'm a little stumped regarding my activity level. My concern is although I do exercise 4-5 days a week for 45 minutes-60 minutes (doing either P90X or jogging) and walk my two German Shepherds daily for an hour, I'm hesitant to put my activity level as moderately active (exercises 3-5 days a week) because I have a desk job and I'm sitting the rest of the time. I think of moderately active as someone who is on their feet most of the day moving and exercises in addition to that.

    Just wondering if moderately active seems accurate for my activity level? Thanks for any help!
    I calculated mine with 1-3 days exercise (the rest days I stretch but that's pretty much it).
    But on MFP I am set to Sedentary because I am a writer and work up in my office all day, going downstairs for coffees, water etc... but not much else!

    I eat back my calories and always aim to have AT LEAST between my BMR and a TDEE deficit of 15-20%...

    (Also used fitnessfrog)
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
    Even though I ride my bike on average 10 to 12 hours a week, I always do a "sedentary" activity level and then add activities as I do them.

    That minimizes the assumptions in the baseline calories.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    1) I'd say you're moderately active... maybe even more so... I certainly don't think that would be over estimating for you.

    2) This is a game of estimates. Whatever you pick, you're going to have to try it for a month, then evaluate your progress, then make changes as necessary.

    3) All the people saying to set it at sedentary are missing the point of your post. What they say may well be true, but if you're trying to figure out your TDEE (as you said), you CAN'T use sedentary.
  • Carolyn_79
    Carolyn_79 Posts: 935 Member
    Maybe set you lifestyle to "sedentary" but just make sure you eat back the exercise calories that you earn.

    I just figured it out and if I do that and eat back my exercise calories it's pretty much the same as if I set it to moderately active. I think I will just do what another poster suggested and set it to moderately active and evaluate over the course of a few weeks.

    Thanks for the help everyone!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Most normal average everyday people are moderately active.
  • spoons81
    spoons81 Posts: 51 Member
    Most normal average everyday people are moderately active.

    How so? I sit at a desk for 8 hours a day and have a 2 hour commute. I wouldn't classify that as moderately active at all.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Maybe set you lifestyle to "sedentary" but just make sure you eat back the exercise calories that you earn.

    I just figured it out and if I do that and eat back my exercise calories it's pretty much the same as if I set it to moderately active. I think I will just do what another poster suggested and set it to moderately active and evaluate over the course of a few weeks.

    Thanks for the help everyone!

    The advantage of this is that you get to eat the same calories everyday. If you set it to sedentary, you will have more on e exercise days and less on others. I find it motivates me to exercise though if I do the former as I can see by the numbers that if I don't exercise, I get to eat less.

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